


Be Alright

by fredsghost



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Best Friends, Cheating, Cheating Fred Weasley, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-18 01:29:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29975322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fredsghost/pseuds/fredsghost
Summary: inspired by dean lewis’ ‘be alright’ where fred weasley cheats on you with someone else from your house and you seek comfort in something, or rather someone, familiar; george weasley. when fred realizes that’s he’s very much in love with you still, it’s when he can do nothing but watch as you fall deeper and deeper in love with his identical twin brother no less.
Relationships: Fred Weasley/Reader, George Weasley/Reader
Kudos: 17





	Be Alright

“i know fred’s a prick, [y/n].” george’s voice took you by surprise, making you jump in your skin a little, not expecting to be followed up here. you didn’t want to turn around, still wholly unable to stomach the sight of a weasley, even if it was your best friend. “but please step away from the balcony.”

you hadn’t heard his footsteps approach, but you did feel him cautiously place his hands on your shoulders, tugging you back from the edge of the astronomy tower and lightly pulling you into his arms. it felt like your skin burned where he touched it.

“where did i go wrong, george?” your throat was scratchy, voice hoarse from screaming into the wind. no one could hear from this high up anyway and you’d stopped well before george found you. “i loved him with everything i had.  _ so where the fuck did i go wrong? _ ”

a desperate sob broke out as everything started to ache and your heart felt like it was breaking into even tinier fragments. george knew he couldn’t do anything right now other than be there for you, like he always did in the past. before fred.

“you did nothing wrong, [y/n].” he spoke softly as he wrapped his wool sweater around you as if to shield you from the cold of the relentless wind, but you didn’t have the heart to tell him that you’d gotten used to it by now and that you were practically numb to everything.“fred doesn’t deserve anything from you, not after what he’s been doing.”

his response seemed to hit you with a realization.

“ _ doing _ ? i walked in on them  _ two nights ago _ , george. why does it sound like…” you stepped out of his grasp with your jaw clenched as an insurmountable amount of rage bubbled within. “how long?”

“[y/n], it’s not—”

“dammit, george,  _ how long _ ?” you were seething now.

he sighed dejectedly. “two months.”

you’d suspected that your peers were somewhat aware of fred’s affair, but you were too caught up in your own denial and the state of your crumbling relationship that you just weren’t ready to face some rather confronting facts, but it seemed like all those pitiful glances and hushed gossip going  _ past  _ the two nights were starting to make sense. your friends were lying to you, whispering behind your back, and withholding the fact that the boy you loved was cheating on you for  _ two fucking months _ while you were busy fighting to make the relationship work, not knowing that all that effort was completely one sided.

“all this time, you  _ knew _ ? you let me walk around  _ blind  _ for two whole bloody fucking months? and you call yourself my best friend?” you snapped, screaming now. your face felt hot and your fingertips were numb and you wanted to throttle something. “you’re a  _ liar  _ george weasley, exactly like your brother. family resemblance, i guess.”

george had the decency to look ashamed. “i...i didn’t want to get involved okay? i thought you’d fix it, like usual and when i realized what was going on i—i didn’t know what to do! but i’m here now and—”

“save it.” you snarled, throwing his sweater in his face as you walked past him. even though he stood at at least six feet, george looked small with his shoulders slumped as he watched you go.

you could still hear him calling out when you left, trying to explain but you thoroughly ignored him and slammed the tower door on your way down. somewhere in the back of your mind, you knew you were in the wrong; that it wasn’t george’s fault and that you should be talking out your anger on the person who deserves it: fred.

but when george looked exactly like the cheating scumbag, best friend or not, it was hard to hold back.

when you safely reached your dorm and all but threw yourself on the mattress, you rolled onto your back and stared at the ceiling, sighing as a heavy weight seemed to weigh you down. you would apologize eventually, you were sure of that, but you needed time and you needed to be alone, not quite trusting yourself to let anyone in at the moment, knowing it would only end up hurting everyone involved.

but one thing you didn’t count on the next morning was finding george weasley sleeping on the floor of your dormitory in a sleeping bag, wearing one of your t-shirts.

you groaned into your pillow, not expecting him to be so stubborn. that very same pillow landed on his face with enough force to wake him up.

“wha—what’s wrong?” he shot up into a seating position, bright red hair sticking up in all directions as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. he turned to face you, stifling a yawn. “are you okay?”

“no and get out.” you were monotonous as you yanked back your pillow, turning to face away from him with it cuddled against you. you felt his side of the bed dip.

he was on his back lying beside you now, a few inches of distance between your bodies given how small the bed was compared to his lanky frame. “you’re good at pushing people away [y/n], but guess what, i’m better at sticking around.”

“leave me alone, for fuck’s sake.” your voice was muffled, your head now buried under your duvet. “how did you even get in here?”

it was like he didn’t hear you. “do you want breakfast? i want breakfast. i’ll ask a house elf to go get us some knowing you won’t be leaving this bed any time soon.”

you threw off the duvet, facing him with a glint in your eye. “george, stop it! why won’t you  _ leave _ ?”

“because i hurt you and you’re my best friend and merlin be damned if i’m not going to make it up to you.” he just smiled softly at you, hands tucked under his head looking mighty comfortable in a bed that wasn’t his. you genuinely didn’t know what to say. “i have two months to make up for for what i did, or  _ didn’t  _ do rather, and for what  _ he _ did.”

his eyes seemed to flash something fierce and you knew he meant fred.

you scoffed, rolling your eyes. “you know you shouldn’t apologize for him.”

“i feel like i’ve been doing so since we were born, why bother stopping now?” he sighed, glaring up at the ceiling much like you did last night. you could tell simply by looking at him how much fred’s actions filled him with shame and anger. “he’s such a bloody idiot.”

a beat of silence passed through the both of you as you settled into a familiar territory. you were apologizing and he was apologizing and it felt like you were third years again, talking about anything and everything under the sun. your roommate was on her way out when you caught her confused glance at your best friend.

_ ‘george _ ,’ you mouthed and she nodded in understanding with her mouth shaped like an ‘o’.

ever since that morning, the boy in question began to coddle you. he spent two weeks on your floor, sometimes in your bed to just hold you when nights were darker and days were filled with fred and the girl he left you to be with. he mentioned in passing that he was afraid to leave you alone and when you asked about it he just waved it away, but you figured it had something to do with the night at the astronomy tower when he thought you were going to jump.

he would walk you to your next class and pick you up after and insist on being your partner when you had the same ones. he was always sitting next to you during meal times, needing little to no effort to get you to laugh, especially on days when it felt like doing so was impossible. he’d bring you ice cream and flowers just to bring a smile on your face. he was dutifully there to pick up the pieces when you felt like exploding.

for months, it seemed like he made it his mission to make you happy, to support you, and all around be there for you just like before, but you didn’t know when he started putting back together the fragments of your heart. you didn’t know when the butterflies became live insects in your belly and you didn’t know when every touch between you became electric.

it wasn’t long before fred started noticing your glow, especially after your roommate let it be known that george accompanied you not just in the hallways, but in the  _ same bed  _ practically every night. a feat that even he, as your boyfriend, was unable to achieve. he didn’t know when he began to stroke a fire that he thought had already been put out.

was it jealousy or anger? or was it something else entirely? either way, fred pushed that thought towards the back of his mind and pulled his girlfriend closer to his side.

but that thought was going to see the light of day eventually, what with rumors going around that [y/n] and his twin were dating, that they’d been spotted lounging by the black lake, that george was walking her to classes, that he was giving her flowers. and fred started to feel… something.

he was starting to feel bad. and regret. and jealousy. and he started to feel especially angry that [y/n] was giving that bright and beautiful smile of hers, one that fred thought was reserved for him, to someone else entirely.

then came the day you were on your way out of the castle to meet with george at zonko’s when fred walked into your line of sight.

“[y/n], hey.” fred breathed, rubbing his hands together, a habit of his you knew to be of nervousness. “can we talk?”

as much as you wanted to say that you told him off, punched him in the gut, and broke his nose, you completely froze up, just staring into those brown eyes you used to love. the very same brown eyes that you’d fallen in love with now, except it wasn’t these ones. 

there was a boy was waiting for you at zonko’s with identical brown eyes, claiming he had something important to say. that thought was enough to shake you out of your stupor. you were looking into fred’s eyes with a lot more steeliness now.

“excuse me.” and you stepped aside, fully intending on walking away, very much like what he did to you.

“[y/n], wait.” fred grabbed you by the arm, stopping you in your tracks, but this time you refused to meet his gaze, knowing you’d break. “what, you’re not going to look at me now?”

you pulled yourself out of his hold. “i said excuse me,  _ asshole _ .”

the small crowd that had gathered held back their ‘ooh’s and snickers as they tensely awaited the showdown they knew was going to happen eventually. but you weren’t going to give it to them because you were going to keep walking and you were going to meet with george and you were going to listen to what  _ he  _ has to say, not fred. not anymore.

you were just past the archway leading towards the bridge when fred called out. “i still love you!”

your hands flew against your mouth as a familiar feeling bloomed from your chest. it was pain. you toyed with countless scenarios that led to this moment, but when faced with it in reality, you didn’t expect to feel hurt.

students gasped as they witnessed firsthand a cheater profess their love towards the person they cheated on. it was only the talk of the entire castle; boy cheats on girl. girl breaks down. boy’s twin brother swoops in to save her. girl heals and moves on but now the cheater-boy gets jealous and wants girl back? professors and students alike were whispering amongst each other and gobbling the drama up like they were feral.

you, on the other hand, didn’t know what to say. you didn’t know what to feel or think either, only that he had wrecked you with seemingly no regrets with how happy he appeared to be the very next day after walking in on them. you didn’t hear fred approach but you did see george running towards you from the bridge. and he looked like he was beyond pissed.

later, you were informed that apparently, a student had broken off to find him, eager to feed the flames.

“ _ fred, i swear to bloody fucking— _ !”

you held your hand up, stopping him before he could say anything else. he was tense when he came to stand beside you, his fists clenching and unclenching as he glared at his brother. this was your confrontation and even though you didn’t want a showdown, you supposed you were going to give it after all.

you turned to face your ex-boyfriend, who was looking at you with hopeful eyes. “no, you don’t, fred.”

he frowned, looking  _ actually  _ confused as he moved towards you, leaves crunching beneath his feet. there was a metaphor in there somewhere.

“yes, i do, [y/n]. and i’m—i’m sorry it took me this long to realize it and i’m sorry i cheated on you—”

you could practically hear the entire castle scoffing at that, including yourself and george.

“but i swear to you,  _ i still love you _ . very much so. you have to know that i—i made a mistake, i didn’t know what i was doing and i didn’t realize how good i had it with you until it was gone. [y/n, ]i’m  _ sorry _ .”

“ _ merlin _ ,” your prefect swore, rolling their eyes from where they stood at a distance with their arms crossed. “if she takes him back, i’m taking house points.”

fred had you pinned. your face was flushed with how public your relationship had gotten considering the crowd and panic set in at the thought of dealing with him in the middle of all this. without thinking, you reached up and squeezed george’s arm, fred watching the movement like a hawk.

“get me out of here.” you were choking on a multitude of emotions. so many of them, swirling underneath the surface, building up until george brought you to the side, clearing students away, snapping at them when they got too close.

you were having trouble breathing, an anxiety attack on the verge, but george knew what to do. “hey, hey, [y/n] love, breathe please. just breathe for me, can you do that?”

he held your hand to his chest as he breathed with you, gesturing for you to follow his lead. your eyes stayed glued to his as you did and you found your heart starting to beat faster for a whole other reason. when you calmed down, you were shaking and george immediately engulfed you in his arms. you cried comfortably into his shoulder.

fred was running towards you, eyes wide with worry but george stopped him before he could come any closer as he helped you onto your feet. “not now, fred. bugger off.” he hissed.

your ex just stood there, staring solemnly as he watched you leave with his brother. when had it gotten this messy?

george supported you all the way to the hospital wing, urging you to take a calming drought. you didn’t bother insisting otherwise because when it came to your wellbeing, he always ensured that he had his way.

madam pomfrey was quick and efficient with the drought and was kind enough to let you have a few minutes to rest on one of the cots with george sitting next to you, his legs stretched out in front of him. he tilted his head back with his eyes closed, soaking in the warm and natural sunlight of the infirmary.

you watched him from the corner of your eye and you felt breathless all over again. he was beautiful and the sun set him on fire and he was  _ golden _ . you were nervously fiddling with your hands before george lay his on top of them, making you look up at him.

“are you okay?” he sounded worried, if not a little tired. guilt shot through your entire being.

“i’m sorry,” you blurted, pulling away from him. he peered at you with his brows furrowed, looking not unlike a kicked puppy. “you’re fighting with your brother, your  _ twin _ brother, and—and you’re against him because of me.”

despite the situation, a smile grew on your best friend’s lips. “i will admit i have a very strong urge to kick his teeth in, but i’m not against him, [y/n]. i’m not with him either, i’m with  _ you _ . all the way, if you’ll have me.”

“all the way?” you tilted your head to the side, not quite catching what he meant.

the smile was still there. “i like you, a lot. i always have, since first year, but then my twit of a brother decided he did too and… i had to be happy for you two.” he sighed, rubbing his face and aging up a few years. “i didn’t know how to approach you about what fred was doing, scared my personal feelings would get in the way somehow, confident someone else was going to tell you. i… i should be the sorry one; i was a mess and i left you all alone and—”

you didn’t think, you just did; you leaned up and kissed him.

you took him by surprise, if the sharp inhale through his nose was anything to go by, but then his eyes fluttered shut, long eyelashes evident against your face. he slowly reached up, threading your hair through his fingers as he gently cradled the back of your head, pulling you in closer.

he kissed you like you were air and he couldn’t breathe.

when you pulled away, he chased your lips for a moment but settled for a chaste peck instead. both your faces were flushed red, breathless as a comfortable silence passed until you burst into soft laughter, conscious of your location.

it was like you just shared an inside joke, not unlike any other moment in your friendship. and it felt right, being with him.

“you did leave me alone, but you also came back and you haven’t left since. you’re here now and that’s all that matters.” you smiled, moving to rest your hands on his cheeks, which grew plump with how wide he was returning your smile. “but if you hurt me, i’m burning the burrow to the ground.”

“i know, i know. hell hath no fury and all that,” george rolled his eyes before leaning forward for another kiss. “i can’t get enough of this now, of you.”

you leaned back, chuckling as george lifted his eyebrows in surprise that you didn’t want to receive his affection. “maybe the infirmary isn’t the best place for this?”

“oh, we’ll be alright.” he playfully rolled his eyes, one arm moving to wrap around your waist to make sure you weren’t going anywhere this time as his other hand cupped your cheek. his face then morphed into one of seriousness. “you didn’t answer my question;  _ will  _ you have me?”

your expression softened as he searched your eyes, as if looking for an answer there. “all the way, george.” 

you pushed forward to catch his lips in a quick kiss, but you were even quicker to take advantage of the distraction to wiggle out of his arms and dash out the infirmary. george’s shock was momentary before he chased after you.

and the rest of history.

**Author's Note:**

> what did you guys think? lmao i spy plot holes but guess what i’m happy with this so much and the banter was such fun to write oh my gosh


End file.
